Faith and Works – Part 1

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Introduction
James 2

Happy New Year, Faith Community Bible Church. Welcome to 2023. Today we return to the book of James and we are in James chapter 2 verse 14. So turn with me there.

Now it’s been about a month since we’ve been in the book of James and today we come to the heart. Everything James is trying to say revolves around the hub of chapter 2 verses 14-26.

There could hardly be a more important section of the Bible to understand if you are going to get your mind the doctrine of justification, the doctrine of how we are made right with God.

Let’s review what James is trying to do. Remember the setup of the book of James. James was the brother of Jesus. He grew up with Jesus. He washed dishes along side of Jesus. He split wood and worked in the garden with Jesus. But he didn’t believe in Jesus till after the resurrection.

The fact that this sort of unbelief was possible frightened him. Realizing that it was possible to be in this kind of proximity to the Lord of the universe without possessing genuine faith was eye opening to say the least. How could that be? He thought he had a faith. But upon examination, it’s pretty hard to say you have a genuine faith while simultaneously accusing the Messiah, God come in the flesh, of being a lunatic. That’s a pretty good indication your not on the right track.

So it probably got James wondering, “How many people think they have saving faith but really don’t.” How many people think, “Oh yeah, I’m good with God.” And God saying to them, “I’m not good with you.”

So the book of James was written as a test for the legitimacy of our faith. James is on a mission to make sure you and I are not deceived the way he was. Many people come to church, live moral lives and think because they do those things, they are Christians. But that does not make them Christians. So what does? James wants to tell us. He doesn’t want us to be deceived.

Here’s the really, really scary thing about being deceived. By definition, you don’t know it. You are convinced you are not one of those poor deceived fellows. There’s not even a hint of doubt. I’m not deceived! But the reality is you are. When the reality finally lands, there is shock, surprise, maybe even horror.

Let me give you an example. If I were to ask you, “Do you think you are good judge of people’s character?” You’d probably say, “Yes.” That’s how 99% of the human race answers that question. Let me ask you a second question, do you think that 99% of people are good judges of character? Not a chance in the world. In fact, most studies reveal that the people who are the worst at this are the most confident. They are the most blind.

And you might think, there’s no way. I know I’m a good judge of character. But how do you know you’re not one of the people who is the most confident but in fact is the most blind? The only way to know for sure would be to take an objective test. To trust a test outside of our own perception.

Well, that’s what James is doing here in regards to faith. He’s saying, “I actually don’t really care what you say. People can SAY and do SAY anything. I’m going to trust the objective test results.” He’s trying to push our confidence outside of our own perception to something objective. He’s trying to say, the whole problem with being deceived is that you are listening to the wrong source. You need other sources of truth. Your relying too heavily on your internal world. You need to locate your confidence on something objective outside of your internal world. And so he’s developing a series of objective tests to help us evaluate the genuineness of our faith.

That’s what the book of James is all about. And we’ve seen many of these test thus far in the book.

Genuine faith has joy in trials
Genuine faith doesn’t seek the world’s approval
Genuine faith is not characterized by anger.
Genuine faith does not show favoritism.

But today we come to the core principle at work in all tests. It’s the operating principle out of which the test questions come. And here is that principle: Genuine faith works. This is a two week series on verses 14-26. Today we are going to focus on the principle in verses 14-18 and then next week will focus on the examples he gives in verses 19-26.

So let’s look at the principle here:

Now every Christian who reads their Bible carefully, at some point in their life struggles with this text. Why? Because it appears on a surface reading to be in direct contraction to what Paul says about faith in Romans 3 and in Galatians 2. So keep in mind that James is saying faith without works is useless. In fact, he’s going to summarize it here in verse 24.

That’s the summary point of this entire section. If you know anything about the reformation, you can almost hear Martin Luther and Zwingli and Calvin groaning right there. All the reformers would just be squirming in their chairs. All the reformers focused on Paul’s articulation of justification which, in fact, is the exact opposite of James.

So get James’ articulation in your head. A person is justified by WORKS and not by faith alone. Now let’s read Paul. Paul is in a section in Romans 3 where he is talking about the hopeless condition of mankind in their sin. He’s saying we are all under sin. We are just sin machines. If you want to use works as a qualifier to enter heaven, we are all failures. None of us can be justified, can be made right with God on the basis of our works.

Romans 3

If that wasn’t clear enough he says it again in verse 28.

And if that wasn’t clear enough listen to how he says it in Galatians 2. In Galatians 2 Paul is talking about the danger of trying to make distinctions among ourselves based on our works. He’s saying, “Listen, our works don’t make us right with God. God makes us right with God.” Listen how he says it.

Galatians 2

Now just to illustrate this in all it’s brilliant 3D color, let’s put Paul and James side by side, let’s put them in the boxing ring and let em fight it out:

So what’s going on here. Is the Bible contradicting itself? If the Bible is contradicting itself, we all just need to go home because one of the most basic tenants of Christianity is that the Bible has internal consistency. There’s an integrity to it.

Well, let me put an end to the suspense. The Bible is not contradicting itself.

Let’s begin by saying, even within the book of James, there’s plenty of evidence that James agrees with Paul and the reformers. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone apart from any works of the law. James would agree with that.

Both Paul and James were at the Jerusalem counsel in Acts 15 where they all agreed salvation is for all people apart from works of the law.

Earlier in chapter 2:5 James talks about Christians as being heirs of the kingdom. Think about what that implies regarding salvation. What is the difference between wages and an inheritance?

Wages are given because of work performed.
Inheritances are given because of who you are.
Wages are related to effort.
Inheritance is related to DNA.
Wages are conditional upon performance.
Inheritance is certain.
Wages are deposited piece by piece according to merit.
Inheritance is already in the bank.

These are massively different concepts.

For James to say that Christians are heirs to the kingdom means we are not earning our salvation; we are heirs of salvation. There’s no way James is saying, "You are heirs of the kingdom of God, now work to get your inheritance."James agrees with Paul. We are saved by grace.

So why do Paul and James sound so different? Why do they sound like they are contradicting one another.

The answer is simple. Paul is using the word justification differently than James.

To illustrate this, let me ask you to interpret this sentence. Here’s the sentence:

What do I mean? It can mean one of two things. If I just got in trouble with the law, then it almost certain means, I’m going to a lawyer and he is going to give me some advice. But grammatically it has another possible meaning.

Let’s just paint a different context. Let’s say I was a successful well-known, seasoned lawyer who had been in the industry for 40 years and I changed my focus from practicing to consulting. Now what does that sentence mean? I’m going to go consult a lawyer.

It’s literally the opposite meaning. Instead of going to receive advice, I’m going to go give advice. The word justification is similar in that it can have opposite meanings.

James is using the word justified in a different way than Paul is using it.

So let’s start by explaining the two possible different meanings:

The word justified, δικαιόω, can mean to be made right. So, given that definition, if you have a debt, you justify yourself, you make yourself right, by paying the debt. When you make that payment you have become justified because now the debt has a zero BALANCE. Think about how we use the word in reference to our word processors. When we JUSTIFY the margins in our documents we are balancing the left and right sides of the document. Justified is to make everything balanced. So that’s one usage of the word. This is the way Paul is using the word.

But the word justified has another possible meaning. It had another meaning then just as it has another meaning now. It can also mean, to prove yourself right?

For example, I’m a tech nerd so I love clean energy. If you said to me, hey solar energy is bad for the environment, I’d say, "Can you justify that statement." How am I using the word justify there. I’m not saying, you’re in debt and you need to balance the books. Rather, I’m saying, demonstrate that this statement is a true statement. Demonstrate that the claim is legitimate. I’m saying, prove to me that what you said is true. Give me evidence for your claim.

That’s exactly the difference between Paul and James. When Paul says we’re justified by faith, he means we cannot BALANCE the debt on our own. We cannot be made right with God except through the merits of Jesus Christ and the works of Jesus Christ. We can’t make ourselves right. It doesn’t matter how much we work. Our works will never balance the books. The only way to balance the books is for God to credit us his righteousness. The credit, the balancing is an act of the mercy of God apart from our works. That’s why he says, “by works of the law no one will be justified”

James on the other hand is coming at it from the opposite perspective. You claim you’ve been justified apart from the works of the law. Great, demonstrate it. Prove to me that what you are saying is more than just words.

Let me illustrate this way. Right now, it’s winter and all the leaves are off the trees so it’s hard to tell the variety. You come over to my house and you see these two trees in my back yard.

And I make a claim, “This tree is an apple trees.” Paul and James would respond differently to that claim.

Paul would say, I don’t care what you say. What makes an apple tree an apple tree is DNA. It’s genetics. No amount of spading the ground, fertilizing, watering will make an apple tree. No amount of talking. An apple tree has to be born of an apple seed. And an apple seed comes from God. God makes apple trees apart from the will of the apple tree or men. That’s Paul.

James would listen to that same claim, “This tree is an apple tree.” And he would, "I don’t care what you say. How do I know those aren’t just words. Prove it. Let me see the shape of the leaf. If it’s an apple tree it will have a certain shape. If it’s an apple tree there will be a certain type of flower when it blossoms and then you will see the fruit. Give me some evidence that your claim is true. That’s James

James and Paul looking at Justifications from opposite sides of same coin. Paul is talking about cause. What’s caused you to become saved. James is talking about effect. If you have been saved, what effect will that have on your life. What effect does that salvation have on your living.

Paul and James are concerned about different abuses.

Paul says, “You think WORKS can get you into heaven. Ha! Your fooled.”
James says, “You think WORDS can get you into heaven. Ha! Your fooled.”
Paul is guarding against people who think they can TOIL their way into kingdom.
James is guarding against people who think they can TALK their way into kingdom.
When Paul says we’re justified WITHOUT works, he means it’s God’s mercy that MAKES us right with God.
When James says we’re justify BY our works, he means it’s our works DEOMONSTRATE God’s work.

Or as it has been famously articulated:

I think you need quotes on the second faith in order to read it properly.

So that’s how to understand the text.
The Application
Now there’s a tremendous amount of satisfaction that comes in understanding the concept here. It feels good to have intellectual resolve. But we need to make sure we don’t miss the point. It is so important to not just understand how the test works but to actually take the test.

It’s literally the difference between understanding how an MRI machine works and getting an MRI. Let’s not treat this like an academic exercise. James intends this test to land and confront us. He intends us to take the test and to have the test results come back. Don’t give this test to other people. Give it to yourself.

Here’s how you take the test. There’s three questions on the test. So in order to pass the test you just have to check yes to three questions. It’s a very simple test. The test will answer this question: do I have saving faith?

Historically, theologians have given saving faith three characteristics, and they’ve used three Latin words to describe these elements of saving faith.

So the first question on the test is do you have notitia? Do you have the information of the gospel? The first “element” that saving faith entails is an intellectual understanding to the bare facts of the gospel. It’s the raw fact. It’s the data. It’s the information. You have to know what the gospel is or you cannot be a Christian — you must know that Jesus, the eternal Son of God took on flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. He was born under the Law and was obedient to God and then died on the cross for our sins and rose again all in fulfillment of the Scriptures. You have to know who God is. You have to know the facts. Being a Christian is not less than that.

But James wants us to go beyond the intellect. Let’s get beyond the raw data. Now the way he illustrates the necessity of going beyond raw data is by giving us an example. It’s just absolutely startling example.

What is he saying here. It’s not bad to know about God. You do well. But let me just remind you, it’a a lot more than knowledge. Be careful in being smug in your knowledge. Be careful in pointing to knowledge as the evidence that your faith is genuine. Knowledge is part of the equation but it’s not all of the equation. Could a demon write a systematic theology? Yes. What would a demon score on a quiz in seminary about the attributes of God. He would score 100%

Do you see the point? Knowledge of God is great. But you can have perfect knowledge of God and still be nothing more than a demon. Perfect knowledge of God has elevated you no higher than rank of demon. That might surprise you. But it’s true.

So what else do I need? How do I distinguish between true saving faith and the experience of demons? It must be related to something other than knowledge. Well there’s a second aspect. Here’s the second question on the test.

Not only must there be an intellectual assent to the facts of the gospel, there must also be a conviction that these facts are true. When the facts land, an emotional response is created. There must be an emotional response.

For example, I can tell you all the facts (information, the notitia) of the story of the Apollo missions and the landing on the moon. But you must believe that it is true. Some people have a knowledge of the facts of the lunar landing. But they believe the whole thing was a great big fabrication. They think it was all one big giant hoax and consequently they feel nothing. There’s no assensus.

But if you do believe it’s true, if you watch the footage, you see the rocket taking off, you watch it land on the moon, it creates a feeling of awe. That’s amazing that they did that.

Saving faith both understands the gospel facts and believes that those facts are true. But you know what? You still haven’t advanced beyond a demon.

He says, “You believe God is one. Good! So do the demons. The demons believe and what? Shudder. There’s assensus.” Belief is a shorthand way of saying you have both notita and assensus. You see a demon has notitia (knowledge). He has knowledge that God is one. And he has assensus (believes) - he believes that God is one. And because he believes there is an emotional response. He shudders. There’s the emotional component. Believe me: a demon respects God.

I think it’s probably quite accurate to say that a demon believes that God is one more than you or I believe God is one. Demons have been to the absolute greatest seminary in the universe. They’ve been to heaven. They have seen God. They know more about God than Paul, James, Moses combined. They both know and believe.

"Get all the knowledge you can about God. That’s wonderful. Be as precise and accurate as possible. Terrific. Then believe that these things are true. Terrific. But those two things by themselves still don’t qualify you to be anything more than a demon. You can be a demon and have that.

So what is it. Your killing me. What separates demons from Christians?

There’s a third aspect. He’s the third question on the test.

It’s the trust. It’s a decision of the will to place my life under submission to what I know and believe.

To return to the appollo rocket analogy. Faith is not just receiving the raw information that rockets made it to the moon. It’s not just agreement that this event happened. It’s also trust. It’s saying, “I’ll get on that rocket. I’ll believe it to the point where I will put my life in that rocket.”

Faith is not merely a matter of the intellect, nor of the intellect and the emotions combined; it is also a matter of the will. It’s a determination of the soul to commit and entrust my life entirely to something.

Without this act of the will, the object of belief - which in this case God - which remains outside of him. It cannot be part of him until he surrenders his will.

God is able to help; he is willing to help. But if the sinner is unwilling to trust him, if he has no fiducia then God cannot help.

Listen it is at this point where most ‘so called Christians’ are deceived. This is why James is so big on works. Because the works is the evidence that you have fiducia. The works is the evidence that your faith is genuine.

It’s why he gives the example of helping the poor. How can you say, “I have genuine faith in God” when I’m not interested in what God tells me to be interested in. How can you say, “I’ve gone all in with God.” while not going all in with God? That’s not faith. That’s something else.

Let’s take the book of James and apply it to TESLA stock, “If you came up to James and said, I have faith that TESLA stock will tripple this year." James would look at you and say, "Really? That’s great.” I’ve got one question for you: How much do you have invested?

Well, Nothing. James would say: You have notitia. You have assensus. But you do not have fiducia. You don’t have trust. If you had faith, your investment would demonstrate your faith. But you no investment; therefore, you have no faith.

James wants to know, “Are you a true Christian like you think you are? Are you invested? Does your life demonstrate that you actually believe these things? Have you actually entrusted yourself and all that you are into the hands of the God of truth.”

This is why faith and repentance are always related. Those who put their faith in Christ turn from their sins. Investing in TESLA is a decision to not invest in everything else. Boarding the rocket is choosing to not stay on earth. And TRUSTING in Jesus Christ is a decision to NOT trust in anything else this world has to offer. It’s not trusting in money, it’s not trusting in people’s opinions, your ability, your talents, your status…

Repentance is not faith and faith is not repentance. But the two are impossibly interconnected. The turn to God in saving faith causes true repentance of turning from sin.

I think what James is really concerned about is just how scary possible it is to have notitia (knowledge) and (assensus) and not have the one key piece (fiducia).

This happens at all levels of life. How many of you know that overeating is bad for you (notitia)? How many of you believe that overeating is bad for you (assensus)? How many of you still overeat? You lack the fiducia. You actually trust something else. No matter how unhealthy it is, I choose to submit to food, because I want what food gives me.

Why would we do that? We are willfully ignorant of the consequences, in pursuit of our precious. We think that by stubbornly fighting, we can somehow alpha male our way through it.

Oh it’s scary possible, friend. It’s scary possible to have information about something, agree with something but not ultimately submit to it.

That’s why James uses demons as his primary demonstration of this phenomena.

Demons don’t shake their fist at God. What do they do? They shudder! They run from him. They respect the greatness of God and therefore they are frightened. They know what he can do. And rather to submit to him, they move about in the shadows.

Remember what the demons said to Jesus during his earthly ministry. Leave us alone. Depart from us Son of God. They know what he was capable of doing.

This, my friend, is the greatest evidence that you who think you are a Christian, in fact are not a Christian at all. Is that how you live your life? Leave me alone God. Leave me to myself. Leave me to my own devices. I want to lurk here in the shadows.

If that’s true, then you don’t have fudicia. You aren’t any different than a demon. It’s very possible for us to know God is great, to believe God is great and shudder. It’s possible to be scared of punishment, and to even alter your behavior and become a very moral person, even an incredibly moral person, even an incredibly religious person. But all of your religion and all of your morality is nothing but shuddering. It’s just religious fire insurance. I know there’s a God but I don’t want to submit to him. I’ll do just enough to keep him happy, to keep him off my back.
The Gospel and How to Receive it
So what do you need to do? What is the one thing you need to do? You need entrust yourself to the God of the Universe. You need to go all in. That’s the ticket. That’s the key.

How do you know if you have saving faith? It works. It evidences itself in the will being bent in a certain direction. Windows orphas, trials. all sorts of stuff. There’s an evidence in your life that you are all in with Jesus.

The point for us is that all three of these characteristics must be present in faith or otherwise it is not saving faith.

Let’s take a moment and pray and bend the will to God.
Prayer of Submission